ARTIST STATEMENT

Every life tells an amazing story. We often read these stories in novels, but seldom do we see them depicted in a painting as a keepsake for future generations.

I began to think about how key life cycle events are the markers of our lives that shape and define who we are.  Milestone events such as Bar/Bat Mitzvah, weddings and anniversaries are the moments in which we pay attention to who we are, where we have been and where we are going.

Every picture tells a story and a Life Cycle Portrait tells the story of a person's life with meaningful images, color, and symbols.

The initial inspiration to create Life Cycle Portraits came from early American quilts and the Ketubah, the Jewish marriage certificate.

I was attracted to Early American quilts because of their rich colors and the symbolic nature of each quilt.  The utilitarian purpose of these quilts made them more than an art form; they became a part of every day American life.  I especially liked the way folk art is easily understandable.

When I started to research the Ketubah, I became intrigued by the influences within these paintings, whether they were created in Italy or Asia and how the cultural iconography influenced each work of art. The attention to detail, the ornate decorative patterns that surrounded the key image, as well as the illustrious stories they told connected me back to my own Jewish heritage.